TRACKLISTING
CD 1
Paganini
24 Caprices, op.1 (1950 recording - first international CD release)

CD 2
Paganini
Viiolin Concerto No.1 in D major, op.6 · Violin Concerto No.2 in B minor, op.7 "La campanella"
Ravel
Tzigane* (LSO / Anthony Collins · OSR / Ansermet*) (all first international CD release)

CD 3
Richard Strauss
Violin Sonata in E flat major, op.18 · Weber: 6 Sonatas (Carlo Bussotti piano (all first international CD release)

CD 4
Bizet
Carmen - Fantaisie, op.25
Sarasate
Zigeunerweisen, op.20
Saint-Saëns
Havanaise, op.83; Introduction & Rondo capriccioso, op.28
Lalo
Symphonie espagnole* (LSO / Gamba; OSR / Ansermet*)

CD 5
Hindemith
Sonatas for solo violin, op.31/1 & 2
Prokofiev
Sonata for solo violin, op.115
Khachaturian
Violin Concerto* (LPO / Fistoulari)
(Hindemith & Prokofiev first international CD release)

In the world of violin playing in the 20th century American-born Ruggiero Ricci was one of the legendary figures. Born in 1918 in San Francisco he was a child prodigy who made early appearances in San Francisco in 1928, New York in 1929, and toured Europe in 1932. His teachers included Persinger, Piastro and Kulenkampff (who can be heard in the Brahms Violin Sonatas and Beethoven "Kreutzer" Sonata in the ORIGINAL MASTERS set devoted to Sir Georg Solti as pianist and conductor 473 127-2).

Ricci was one of those individuals who successfully made the transition from child prodigy to mature adult performer. His range of repertory was very broad and as well as having all the usual concertos in his repertory he also played a number of the latest 20th century works and among the works he premiered can be included concertos by Ginastera, von Einem, and Gerard Schurmann (written to mark Ricci's 50th anniversary as a performer in 1978). The present collection of recordings also includes another relative rarity of violin literature, the concerto by Khachaturian.

Sheer virtuosity was a characteristic feature of Ricci's playing and none of the violin literature held any fears for him and it was largely due to his efforts that Paganini's works found a new audience in the second half of the 20th century when he was the first to record the original version of the 24 Caprices. Ricci's first recording of the 24 Caprices (made in 1947) is included here in addition to Violin Concertos 1 & 2.